• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.88-98
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• 2021

Korean industry has achieved dramatic growth in a short time through continuous technical innovations. However, safety consciousness and management have not kept pace with industry growth. The characteristics of industrial accidents in socio-technical systems have become so complicated that it has been challenging for safety professionals to implement effective preventive measures because it is difficult to determine what is happening in the complex workplace. Thus far, they have focused on technical improvements and the requirements of OSH regulations to avoid legal responsibility. Accordingly, this study has used the systemic analysis method to explain the emergence of something unexpected in complex and multi-layered business structures, which is usually related to the variabilities of humans and organizations. This study chose a shipyard where a few fatal accidents had occurred because the shipbuilding industry includes numerous variabilities, including obtaining orders, manpower supply, procurement, etc. Systemic analysis progressed using FRAM based on two accident cases related to the truss platform used in LNG vessels. The outcome shows that each function within the system has its variabilities and has become coupled or dependent on other functions, increasing the possibility of accidents. This analysis method can provide OSH professionals with practical techniques for explaining what is happening in a complex socio-technical system and how to take proper measures.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.247-257
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• 2022

The presidential election and the inauguration of the new government are a period of the policy window opening. The newly launched government is expected to improve the quality of life of the people. The Yoon Suk-yeol Government is also launched with new expectations with a transitional period in health care. The sustainability of health care in Korea is threatened. The environment of health care and the main policy issues of health care are difficult to secure the necessary finance for health care in spite of the increasing health care burden. Accordingly, the Yoon Suk-yeol Government's health care policy aims to provide intensive support to those in need of health and welfare and to improve the health of the people through investment in health. And for integrating fragmented health care and welfare services and creating people-centered community-based health care, a health care innovation center will be established for the evaluation platform of new delivery and payment systems, a health care development plan will be established for the blueprint of health care, and reorganizing the central & local government should be reviewed. Although we are facing unfavorable situations such as the distribution of the National Assembly, inflation, and the possibility of economic recession, we expect that announced health care policies will be implemented, recognizing that health care innovation is the only way to improve health care sustainability.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.909-916
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• 2022

To study the developments and variations of unsafe behaviors in nuclear power plants thus reduce the possibility of human-related accidents, this paper, based on the Game Theory, focused on the changes in benefits of the Department of Management, Operational and Emergency in a nuclear power plant, and established the expected revenue functions of these departments. Additionally, the preventive measures of unsafe behaviors in nuclear power plants were also presented in terms of these 3 departments. Results showed that the violations of the Operation Department (OD) and the Emergency Department (ED) were not only relevant with the factors such as their own risks, costs, and the responsibility-sharing due to accidents, but also affected by the safety investments from the Management Department (MD). Furthermore, results also showed that the accident-induced responsibility-sharing of both the OD and the ED would rise, if the MD increased the investments in safety. As a result, the probability of violation behaviors of these 3 departments would be attenuated consciously, which would reduce the unsafe behaviors in the nuclear power plants significantly.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.1283-1287
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• 2009

The Korean government implemented 259 road projects from 2004 to 2007, valued at $18.4 billion. Change orders of these road projects occurred 8,973 times and, subsequently, caused significant increases in the cost of the projects, approximately up to $4.2 billion (22.8% of the initial budget). These significant problems of huge change orders require a more workable control system for budget management whereas the effectiveness of the government's control is still not satisfied. However, previous approaches and studies mostly limited their analyses to simply classifying the causes of the change orders. This paper investigates the real frequency and cost impacts incurred by each cause of a change order, primarily based on 218 road projects in Korea. The paper then identifies the attributes of change orders through a survey of 204 project participants in that those sources were inevitable or avoided if properly managed. The causes of the change orders are further analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA) in connection with contract volume, bid award rate, the contractor's capacity to perform, and the design company's capacity. This study found that if the contract volume is smaller, then the possibility of change orders is higher. Interestingly, if the bid award rate is less than 67.5%, it signifies the highest rate of change orders. In addition, the contractors whose construction ability is assessed as the top-ranked group showed the lowest change order rates. With these results, this paper provides the preventive guidelines for reducing the likelihood of change orders.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.218-226
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• 2011

Objectives: Paraquat (PQ) is a widely used ionic pesticide that is fatal when ingested accidentally or for suicidal purposes. It is thought that chronic exposure of PQ is related with the development of Parkinson's disease, but epidemiological studies have not yet confirmed that theory. This study attempted to estimate the possibility of environmental PQ exposure through soil and water. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the amount of decomposed PQ solution in wet soil after exposure to ultraviolet light. An artificial rainfall condition was simulated over soil sprayed with PQ to measure the amount of eluted PQ. In addition, PQ was diluted in water from three differently rated rivers and the changes in PQ concentration were measured after ultraviolet exposure over one month. High performance liquid chromatography/ultra violet detection was used to analyze the concentrations of PQ. Results: In the method we used, the recovery rate of PQ showed a precision rate less than 5%, an accuracy greater than 88%, and the calibration equation was y=5538.8x-440.01($R^2$=0.9985). There were no significant differences in the concentrations of PQ obtained from the three specimens over a 1-week period. From the PQ-sprayed soil, the artificial rainfall conditions showed no PQ elution over a 1-month period, and there was no significant differences in PQ concentrations according to ultraviolet exposure among the three samples. Conclusions: PQ remains well adsorbed naturally in soil. However, it may still exist in an integrated state for a long time in the hydrosphere, so the possibility of PQ exposure through drinking water cannot be disqualified.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.1 s.56
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• pp.103-128
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• 1997

The object of this study is to evaluate the possibility of chemical-induced liver disorder among workers exposed to various chemicals and to classify the the liver function abnormalities by causes and to analyse the risk factors for each liver disorders. A cross-sectional study including questionnaire survey, physical examination, laboratory tests and ultrasonography of liver was conducted on 1,126 workers, 459 workers in a coal chemical plant(company A) and 667 workers in an insulation material manufacturing factory(company B). An industrial hygienist reviewed the chemicals used in both companies and evaluated the work environments to classify the workers by chemical exposure semiquantitatively. The results are as follows: 1. Of 459 workers in company A, 83 workers(18.1%) are classified as nonexposed, group 163(35,5%) as short-term exposure group, 155(33.8%) as intermediately exposed group and 58(12.6%) as long-term exposed group bared on the mean daily exposure to hepatotoxic chemicals evaluated by an industrial hygienist. Of 667 workers in company B, 484(72.6%) workers were classified as nonexposed and 183(35.5%) as exposed group. 2. Workers with SGOT level higher than 40 IU/l were (10.0%) in company A and 77(11.5%) in company 3, and those with SGPT level higher than 35 IU/l were 118(25.7%) in company A and 198(29.7%) in company B. The differences were not significant between companies and between exposure groups(p>0.05). Workers with $\gamma-GT$ level higher than 62 IU/l were 29(6.3%) in company A and 77(11.5%) in company B (p<0.01). The difference between exposure groups was not significant(p>0.05) within companies. Workers with liver function abnormalities(defined as SGOT higher than 40 IU/l or SGPT higher than 35 IU/l) were 338(30.0%) among 1,126 workers. Of 338 workers with live. function abnormalities 139(12.3%) had fatty liver by ultrasonography, 79(7.0%) had alcoholic liver(defined as workers with liver function abnormalities with weekly alcohol consumption greater than 280 g for more than 5 years), 54(4.8%) had hepatitis B, 12(1.1%) had hepatitis C and the other 114(33.7%) was not otherwise classified. Prevalences of alcoholic liver and fatty liver were significantly lower in company A(prevalence ratio 0.24 for alcoholic liver, p<0.001, prevalence ratio 0.76 for fatty liver, p<0.05) but prevalences of liver disorders between exposure groups within companies were not significant(p>0.05). 3. Summary prevalence ratios(SPR) of live. function abnormalities, fatty live. and other liver disorders, adjusted by age and company were not significantly higher in exposed group in any chemicals(p>0.05) but in some chemicals, SPRs were significantly lower. 4. On simple analysis of risk factors for liver function abnormalities, prevalence odds ratio(POR) of those with age between 30 and 39 was 1.54(p<0.01) and those with age ever 40 was 1.51(p<0.01). POR of those with histories of liver disorders and general anesthesia was 1.77(p<0.001) and 4.02 for those with overweight and 6.23 for those with obesity, defined by body mass index(p<0.001). 5. On logistic regression analysis, risk factors of liver function abnormality were fatty liver(POR 2.92 for grade 1, 12.15 for grade 2), presence of hepatitis B surface antigen(POR 3.62) and obesity(POR 5.38 for overweight and 16.52 for obesity). Presence of hepatitis B surface antigen(POR 0.18) was the only preventive facto. of fatty live. Company(POR 0.30) and obesity(POR 2.49 for overweight, 4.52 for obesity) were related to the alcoholic live. Obesity(POR 2.94 for overweight) was the only significant risk factor of hepatitis B and there was no significant risk factor for liver function abnormality not otherwise classified. It is concluded that the evidence of liver disorder related with chemical exposure is not evident in these factories. It is also postulated that fatty liver and alcoholic liver is most common causes of liver function abnormalities among workers and effort for weight control and improvement of life style should be done.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.365-369
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• 2008

This study analyzed the incidence of wound infection after the operation of mandibular third molar extraction in relation with antibiotic prophylaxis with the object of young and healthy patients. The study object was 1,177 mandibular third molars of 850 men of 20 to 25 years old without any specific systemic disease. Three methods of preventive antibiotic medication were selected according to the preventive antibiotic medication previously reported; three experimental groups were selected based on them, and the antibiotic used was amoxicillin($^{(R)}Kymoxin$, Yuhanyanghaeng, Seoul). The group 1 includes the patients that took the antibiotic orally before the operation(one hour earlier, 500mg) and for three days after the operation(250mg per time, three times/day), the group 2 is the ones that took the same antibiotic orally only once about one hour before the operation(500mg), and the group 3 did not take any antibiotics before and after the operation. And to compare the difficulties and the degrees of extraction during operations which can be possibly related to the wound infection after the operations, the mandibular third molars' impacted depths and extraction methods were investigated as well. To check if the wound was infected, observations with an internal of one week were performed twice after the operation, and the meaningfulness of the infection incidence was verified through Chi-square test using SPSS program(SPSS Inc., IL, USA). There was no statistically significant difference between the antibiotic medication methods and the wound infection incidence after the operation among the experimental groups. As examining the relations between the mandibular third molar operation methods and the wound infection incidence after the operation, there existed a statistically meaningful difference in the infection incidence according to the operation methods(p=0.020). And there was no statistically significant difference in the wound infection incidence according to the impacted depth of the mandibular third molar. Therefore, it is thought that there exists little necessity of prophylatic antibiotics medication when extracting the mandibular third molar of young and healthy men without any systemic disease in general; however, in case when it is expected that the possibility of infection will be high or the wound on the tissue will be severe, it is sure that the prophylactic antibiotics medication will be necessary.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.354-360
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• 2012

This study tested the antifungal compound obtained from a medicinal plant, Dioscorea quinqueloba Thunb., in order to search the possibility of practical application of this product in agriculture through evaluating its activity using the citrus fruits. The extract of D. quinqueloba Thunb., which has the strongest antifungal activity, was selected as a candidate among 101 plant extracts. Based on this examination concerning antifungal activity of the product on Penicillium digitatum in vitro, it was confirmed its effect of mycelial growth inhibition showed over 87% at 0.5 mg/ml concentration. This natural product showed the stability of the substance, as it was not significantly influenced by pH, temperature, or ultraviolet radiation. While citrus fruits were stored at room temperature, P. digitatum was inoculated into them in order to prepare a similar environmental conditions with epidemic occurrence of the mold. As the result of our investigation, the disease preventive effects of the active antifungal substance evidenced a 100% at 0.5 mg/ml. When the phytotoxicity of the selected natural product on citrus at 2 mg/ml was assessed, we noted no toxic effects. Based on the superior preventive effects from this natural product extracted from the plant, it is presumed to be very useful in agricultural applications for the control of green mold, P. digitatum, which has been occurred often the biggest problem in the storage of citrus fruits.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.433-443
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• 2020

Objective: This study aimed to introduce the use of humidifier disinfectant (HD) in hospitals based on an on-site investigation. Methods: A preliminary survey and on-site investigation of HD use were conducted in 23 hospitals. Among them, one hospital without previous information on HD use was selected for a pilot investigation; 22 hospitals were selected based on previous documents and exposure statements from parliamentary investigation and exposure assessment regarding HD. Descriptive statistics were used to present distribution and characteristics of HD purchase and HD use in hospitals. Also, details on interviews from the on-site investigation were described. Results: Among the 23 hospitals, a total of ten were confirmed to have purchased and used an HD (nine hospitals) or HD-like product (one hospital). For the purchased HD products, four hospitals reported 'Aekyung Gaseupgi Mate', two hospitals reported 'Oxy Ssakssak New Gaseupgi Dangbun', and one hospital reported 'Homeplus Gaseupgi Chungjungje' (one hospital used three kinds of HD products). One hospital reported an HD-like product and four hospitals were 'Unknown'. For the number of HD products purchased, five hospitals reported '100 or less', two hospitals reported 'More than 100', and three hospitals were 'Unknown'. For each of the ten hospitals, we described detailed characteristics of HD purchase and its exposure status obtained through on-site investigation, including the purchase volume (i.e., number of products), exposure space (i.e., patient's room, staff space), and exposure period. Additionally, a comparison of on-site investigation and parliamentary investigation or exposure assessment regarding HD was reported. Conclusion: This study introduced detailed cases of HD purchase and HD use in hospitals based on an on-site investigation, and our findings revealed a possibility of a considerable volume of HD exposure in various multiuse facilities, including hospitals.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.3 s.51
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• pp.588-608
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• 1995

This study was intended to enhance the level of hospital personnel management through analysing job satisfaction of hospital employees in terms of structural, personal and environmental variables. The sample of this study consist of a total of 790 persons including doctors, residents, interns, pharmacists, nurses, medical engineers, office workers and manual workers who have worked for general hospitals with 200 beds, 300 beds and 800 beds respectively. The Likert's 5 scales were used for the measurement of satisfaction. The results can be summarized as follows: 1. Structural Variables The level of satisfaction on the job itself was generally low, 2.8 in Likert's 5 scales, with the order of role ambiguity(3.87), routinization(2.6), work overload (2.45) and autonomy(2.37). Hospital employees are aware of their responsibility and they regarded their work as heavy one. The compensatory satisfaction degree was 2.5 which was also low: There were in the order stability(3.1), distributive justice(2.57), pay(2.3) and promotion(1.9). Usually hospital employees showed high degree of stability, while, their satisfaction on promotion possibility is quite low due to specially differentiated structures of hospitals. The degree of satisfaction on the internal conditions of organizational culture was relatively higher as 2.92: They were co-worker's support(3.69), supervisory support(3.15), role conflict(2.64) and welfare(2.17) in order. The satisfaction on welfare as an economic condition was the lowest. 2. Personal Variables The level of satisfaction on personal variables was 3.27 which seemed to be quite high: Contribution to the hospital(3.38), attitude on job performance(3.28) and pride as a member of the hospital(3.07). They seem to believe that their work has been helpful to the performance of hospitals. 3. Environmental Variables The degree of satisfaction on these variables was 3.07 on the average which was derived from environmental factors such as family-role conflict and community support related to hospital employees' environment. The order of satisfaction for each variable is community support(3.2) and family-role conflict(2.94). They turned out to be fairly satisfied with their job in community and yet, they wanted more spare time to spend with their family.